Couldn’t help notice that when you have right wing leaders on screen that you have very scary music in the background, but when you have liberal and left-wing leaders or individuals, the music appears to be very pleasant. Pretty sure it’s not by design. I mean, you’re just reporting the news in an unbiased manner, right?
Manipulation of media is so obvious, yet also very subtle. Instead of giving objective report from both sides, as a true journalism suppose to do, all official journalism in reality always stands on one side or another. It is so difficult because it demands public to be intelligent to discern the influence of these subtle differences. Unfortunately, majority of the public is not that intelligent, and that is why media in every society is a best maniplation tool on the public. The most unfortunate thing is the western media is often waving a flag of their "freedom of speech" and making the western countries' people mostly firmly believe that they are not brainwashed, but in effect they do, severely. On the other hand in countries like China, everyone knows you can not trust media from just one side, so they are more critical recievers of the media coverage, and thus become more open-minded. I speak from my heart because I have lived in both side for equal amount of my life time so far, and I feel the pain to obseve this dscrepency. In a world with so much conflict, a mutal understanding is so so crucial to regain peace, stability and reduce human suffering, the media manipulation is really a crime to humanity!!!
Ethnic Germans come first in Germany. Germany belongs to the founding, indigenous, ethnic Germans; it's their home country for their people and they come first and foremost in it, that is basic common sense. That is not negotiable. 🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪
Here’s a great answer to why the AFD is so successful in East Germany: Because they’ve been there and done that with socialism/communism, and they understand how crappy it is!
@@user-ho7me9dd5y If Germany wants the U.S. gone all they have to do is say so The U.S. has bases all over the world, but only in countries that invite us to stay
@@zeitgeist5134 In Eastern Germany, there is not much Orthodox Christianity. The Communists could not change that. But there are lots of non-religious people.
I mean, people living under communism tends to be its most fervent opponents once they get out of it. this is true for almost every red balkan states. this isnt necessarily a unique thing. most of east europe is fervently right wing compared to central or western europe.
@@daemontargaryen5614 now uhhh the new left party is on the rise in the East, probably would be second in East after the Linke lost more political power
Fair enough, but why view Russia so favourably then? That's the thing i don't understand about AfD. Why are they so anti-us and why do they love Russia so much? The US never occupied east Germany. It seems like some residual brainwashing or something.
To me it's actually very concerning that Germany does not like the idea of Germans first. That does not mean you have to hate immigrants or hinder their ability to move in but how on earth could a country not be for its own citizens first. Germany must get over this PTSD from world war II. You guys are okay to be proud of your country wave a German flag and say yes Germany first. How on earth has that been demonized
@@djglammetal9666 Germany is a Nation. Therefore anyone with a German* passport. is a German. Although he may not be of Germanic Ethnicity. Likewise, a German in France would be considered French if he has a French passport. Having a passport of an x* country means having loyalty towards the x* country.
@@slavman1945Some people believe countries are more than exclusive economic zones. My culture and blood are self-evident, they are Serbian, they cannot be made German or British by an indifferently given passport, and this culture and blood shared among the people is what differentiates the country of Serbia from any other.
Instead of asking AfD supporters, they only ask anti-AfD political and NGO figures. I'm not a right winger, but this very biased. This DW reportage is aimed at English speakers. They failed to inform.
Nationalism often arises among people who feel marginalized or inferior to other compatriots in their own country. This applies to the US, Germany, Poland, and many other nations.
The difference between East and West Germany goes back hundreds if not thousands of years. It starts with the roman conquest of the territories west of the river Rhine
Germany lost her soul. What does AFD stand for? Alternative for Germany. Why are they labeled far right? All parties around the world will have some extremist elements. DW perhaps needs to list their platform. You may find it isn't that different from CDU platform.
There is a difference between having some extremist elements in a party, and having them at the top of the party dictating the political agenda though ...
An interesting fact not mentioned is that the AfD is starting to make inroads in many states in 'West Germany' as well. I would disagree largely that people do not want to take responsibility for themselves (there are exceptions, for sure). One should also remember that the former "East German" states were Protestant and largely agrarian. They have a long history and tradition of rebelling against what they don't believe in, communism was only one aspect in many. Many of Germanies greatest thinkers, writers, and philosophers came from the ex East German states.
Absolutely spot on!!! One man in the video said 'we were always told what to do, now it is happening again' (paraphrasing). It is the feeling that one's voice isn't heard in the mainstream and that's way both AfD and BSW, and formerly Die Linke gained popularity. East Germans had the 'peaceful revolution', where they had a sense of agency to overthrow a dictatorship. Voters are not necessarily sharing right or left wing ideology, but are fed up of the, perceived and actual, incompetence of the current coalition. But, as you stated, the West is not far behind in the popularity of the AfD, so this is more than a protest vote.
@@liqiz1755 But the cities are slowly turning. You have now 12% AfD and 26% CDU in Berlin. everywhere it gets more conservative. In Hamburg AfD is at 8.5% now. And if politics don't change it well get worse.
So I'll do respect to Germany but given that Eastern Germany is 90% actual German wouldn't it be fair to say that Germans are feeling this way? Because only 58% of West Germany is actual German born people. So it sounds like you're seeing a cultural shift where the people who were originally from an area are getting tired of those who've moved in. I personally think as with any country the people whose country have previously was aka actual Germans should get to decide what happens in the country. Same thing with the Americas and how Europeans moved in and essentially outnumbered and kicked out the native Americans I think Germans are worried of something like this happening to them
Sunshine, it’s not dumb logic. Demographics decide if your people survive or die. The native Germans need more children and less immigration or their nation will never be the same
They say white old men from Est Germany are reluctant to embrace the leftist ideology, however they didn`t try to explain why this is. Here are a few reasons: 1. They lived in comunism (leftists wet dream) 2. They had to provide for their families and saw the hardship of unemployment after reunification, this is why they value job security and stability 3. They lived enough to know that war is not a solution no matter what (lots of people treat war as a football match) 4. They genuinely want the younger generation to have stability and a family of their own (this will reduce the current pressure on public services) Now think about what the leftist are saying with “there is no more stability/predictability in current times” and why they are pushing for this.
And they are wrong about that. Several elections now have shown that the german youth is voting conservative or right. And they can't explain that, so they go on talking about §old white men" as if it is a bad thing to be old.
In Europe, there's a growing sense of neglect towards the younger generation. They face lower salaries, longer work hours, and increased responsibilities while witnessing a surge in billionaires, particularly in countries like Germany. The housing market adds to their woes, as property prices soar, making it difficult to afford homes, let alone start families. To compensate, cheap labor from abroad is often favored, leading to frustration among the youth, who feel betrayed. People aren't inherently racist, but this frustration arises when governments prioritize external labor over addressing domestic issues. It's high time politicians acknowledge and tackle these pressing concerns rather than resorting to distractions. The younger generation deserves meaningful change.
Aren't the preferences of 1/6 of the nation or 1/3 of a federal state, by definition, not extreme but one branch of major public opinion? If the use of the label is meant about the content of the ideas, regardless of the merits, then the use of the term extreme is pejorative and a political argument, not anything of objective value.
while poland is progressing forward, the shadow of its past of being part of russias slave is still lingering in form of the PIZS party that plays a similar style as the AFD. and polan is still kinda split. lets hope tusk can turn things around and unite poland again.
I mean... much of the most productive parts of Poland are, in fact, eastern Germany. The Soviets also pillaged the remaining industrial infrastructure in East Germany after the Americans refused to give them what they wanted from the Ruhr.
"West german" DW tells east german why they are like they are? One mistake about the German reunification can still be corrected is that west German public media took over, and it's still a problem. RBB don't even know the street names of former East Berlin correctly, and so on. The only fully eastern German regional public radio and TV channel MDR is also the one that has the highest rating among all the regional channels. It would be super easy to let MDR form an additional national German public media channel, letting eastern German culture be part of all of Germany and not a regional exception. Also why not formalize ARD as having rightist views, ZDF as having neutral views, and as a country wide MDR having leftist views? Also: AfD is just CDU on steroids, without religion.
I totally agree about the media situation. I was wondering as well why they are not just get information from MDR but instead never get tired of asking "What is going on?". They don't want to understand.
@@gimalu743 They are probably afraid of leaving the former West Germany (headquarters in Bonn) or the former West Berlin (most TV production). Seems like at least they aren't at the same location that the former western SFB used to be at in West Berlin, but still...
East Germany has experienced the communist authoritarian rule. While west Germany enjoyed western capitalism. The authoratian left leaning tendencies of ruling coalition are recognized by east germans. They are not easy to fool like west germans.
West Germany enjoyed the Marshall Plan, which the current US government would regard as communism. Also, it's easy to get a false sense of wealth when you never really took responsibility for any sort of serious defense plan... the plan was "the Americans will be forced to take care of it, for now we can buy votes by sustaining the Marshall programs!"
considering that East Germany was so heavily occupied by Soviets and 1953? why is it so pro-Putin AFD compered with other Eastern countries like Poland?
swede here this is what i dont understand aswell! how can AFD be pro putin but lived under dictatorship for only 30 year ago. anti massimigraton i get!!
Why is it that public opinion in Germany, whose eastern states were occupied by the Soviets, is so different from that in the Eastern European countries? In Poland, the memory of the double occupation by Germany and Russia during World War II is omnipresent; in Hungary, the violent suppression of the 1956 uprising by Russian troops is deeply rooted in the collective consciousness, the same in then-Czechoslovakia, invaded by Warsaw Pact troops in 1968. The Germans were spared similar traumatic experiences in the GDR. The uprising of June 17, 1953, which was brutally suppressed by the Soviet occupying forces and the police forces of the Socialist Unity Party regime, was less consequential in comparison.
Funny enough, many of them are not even ethnically Germanic but are Polabian Slavs Germanised in late medieval period and beyond. So, indigenous works only if you consider it in the non-nationalist sense.
I think that we are seeing at the wrong precedent here. Its not the GDR what made people vote AfD, if anything that is what made people vote Die Linke or BSW, rather it is political legacy of Prussia. Most of what today is East Germany was once Prussia where authoritarianism was a core cultural element. I urge people to check electoral maps of the Weimar Republic and they'll see that during that time most of East Germany voted massively to the DNVP, a precedent of the AfD
I support Germans putting Germans first, which is, by the way, what the countries of people migrating to Germany do in their own land. Greetings from São Paulo.
It was a matter of time. Having spent so many decades under authoritarian rule, the liberties and liabilities of an open society have frustrated those who didn't leave Eastern Germany.
tell me that you don't have a clue about east germany without telling me.. If you don't know better, how about getting information or stop spreading bs.
@@daviddelgado6090 what does this has to do with east germany. You literally comparing millions of people to one Party. You don't want to understand. You are comfortable in your bubble. Congrats.
I just spent a month travelling Germany and I think it’s far, far simpler than this. Immigration saturation. No country likes to feel they are losing their cultural/racial identity. None. Right or wrong - it’s that simple.
Hahaha. Trying to explain things using the wrong arguments. It is rather simple, the politicians are not listening to the voice of the people because the politicians are too busy satisfying their own greed. Politicians from the west, not all, are usually detached from the realities of suffering of the vulnerable.
@@Eureka2003 he is correct tho i live in berlin and see immigrates all day, they are very chill and nice people. sure you have also bad people but that you also have with non immigrants... if you actually bother to connect with this people u will find out they are also just people, nothing to fear.
They have the advantage of being sensitive towards manipulation and erosion of democracy, esp. kleptocratic and lobbyistic agendas in the name of lofty goals w/o pragmatic politics and representation of sovereigns.
Last time i was in a German city i could count on one hand how many Germans i saw. I saw mainly Turks and middle eastern people. You really see that natives are 2nd rank citizen now. As a Dutchy we have lost our yearly tradition, Dutch hero names as streets and the demolision of their statues, some are replaced with African art.....
Fear mongering, "native" germanics are outnumbering anyone else at least 3 to 1. Look it up, germany has 24.9 million people with migration in their background (they or at least one parent has imigrated). And that out of a total population of over 80 million.
@@joespowerlifting1631 if you go like that vienna is also a german city. And Southtirol. by the def Deutsch you are Deutsch if you speak german and with that life the culture. which ofc is never static and might intermix but that is how the world works, people mix and so does culture and language So every citizen is german by def. to add a personal note, all germans with migration background i ever met where just as kind and nice as every other that lifes here, and often also nicer and more world open.
So strange, I thought the people of the former DDR were glad to finally be free. Now they are longing back to a life like the movie “Das leben der anderen”.
The problem is that Russia replaces the local population of any place that they conquer with ethnic Russians Most of the Germans who didn't like life under communism fled west at the first chance
One of the big problems is the one mentioned in the video: people in the East were not educated in how to navigate in a free society, and some of them never understood that freedom always comes with liabilities, as well as responsibility for yourself. The GDR basically "took them by the hand" from kindergarten times and told them what to do. Thinking for yourself, making important decisions (and living with the results of those decisions) is a constant struggle, and some people don't like to have that struggle - they prefer to do what they are told by others, so they can then complain about the results of those decisions, which - and this is the important part - were made by others for them...
🇮🇳International student in Germany .. I feel bad for Germans things are getting worsen ..specially illegal immigrants , no jobs for German & talented students, no IT hub
Zumindest in Thüringen war Ramelow ein unglaublich effektiver Ministerpräsident, und auch wenn seine Partei voraussichtlich eine Niederlage einstecken wird, denke ich, dass er eine weitere Amtszeit verdient, wenn sich alle Parteien gegen die AfD vereinen ...
I can say we have many problems in Germany and nothing has to do with AfD i'm born in south korean and live here over 40 years, my support has AfD greetings from Germany Baden-Württemberg 🇩🇪💙
This video never explicitly states that AfD is a problem but the gist is that it is. Has DW ever made a program about why Bavaria votes CSU and how one can explain this phenomenon, based on sociological studies pointing to weaknesses of the population? Or the question of why Hamburg keeps voting to the left? This program seems to stigmatize both the AfD and East Germany.
Another misapprehension many have is that the political spectrum is like a ruler, it's not, it's more like a horseshoe, and the step from one extreme to the other, is but a small step.
The horseshoe theory has been largely discounted. Only the politically naive will be willy-nilly drawn to either extreme. Unfortunately, political naivety is increasingly common these days. Ideology is a lesser concern for them.
Interesting video, thanks. My take, and I’m not German, is that a liberal government is pushing their way to a more conservative section of society. When there is resistance, they look for labels such as far right. Liberals tend to struggle why others don’t see things their way. This situation is occurring all over Europe where conservative communities are starting to resist things like mass migration. Hopefully the solution is debate and compromise as we know from history these things can escalate.
I see your point, but east germany really is far from conservative. They are mostly atheist and liberal, voting everything from left to right. you don't need to be conservative to be against mass migration. This costs a huge amount of taxpayers money that is needed for other things. And crime has gone up. How should people be glad about that?
Because absent a socialist structure the nihilist machinations of capitalism augment the individual towards mysticism rather than towards its enemy. The ruling class.
@@christianweibrecht6555 no, rather, that having a sense of the world and people around you that’s grounded in real understanding of how you and their problems are similar and how similar you are as people will always move people away from nihilism and Fascism. Communist ideology is the natural result of communalist practice, though.
I live in Ilmenau, people here are really nice and welcoming Yeah we are having state welfare here, and pretty motivated to give it back to this piece of land
@@Greedo1977it doesn’t repeat itself but it does rhyme. And this AFD movement is giving WWI/WWII uprising of fascism shrouded in a sheep’s clothing. This is a slippery slope…
@@Americaisgone Definitely! And its Dangerous! But i cant hear "History repeats itself" anymore. And i Dont know about German facism in WW1. Mussolini founded it i thought
I was in Berlin in 1993 after the Wall came down and a cabbie told me a joke going around went "Bring the Wall back only this time ten meters higher." Going sharply from Nazism to Communism has obviously left its mark. My cousin in Cologne once said, The East will always be The East.
Ignored left behind.. and now they feel like someone is finally listening to them... Do you really not understand the simplicity of populism? When you want people to do what you want, you tell them what they want to hear.
Well, unfortunately AFD is growing everywhere in Germany. Some don’t vote AFD but behave like an AFD voter. The main reason is the cost of living crisis. For example, Rents for an average apartment in an average city for an average family are exceeding the average salary of one person. And to be honest there is no solution. Germany is very old (median age of around 50 including the immigrants). I think we have to try and optimise our consumption to what we are producing and face the facts rather only focusing on GDP.
The condescension of these reporters and college professor is so thick it's like a brick LOL😅. They're worse than the American press! "Aw these poor people are entitled to their unenlightened and primitive views".😂😅😂 Like for real, they think viewers don't notice this stuff???
@@zeitgeist5134yeah honestly, i doubt some Moroccans will choose Dresden (who having Pegida and less Immigrants) or Erfurt or Magdeburg over Frankfurt (who Moroccans have large Moroccan Community and have many people from different background)
So, why was the BDR able to turn it's citizens into participatory democrats in the, say, 40 year post-war period, I.e. by 1985, and the same democratization process has not occurred in the former DDR between 1989 and 2019 and beyond? How did the new GER fail to develop this in eastern Germany?...
West Germans after WW2 lived in a destroyed and occupied country and had to rebuild from scratch. So they had to face the harsh consequences of a failed authoritarian state and embraced democracy. East Germans after the collaps of the GDR instead got saved by West Germany spending a fortune. So they could sit at home still relatively well off without ever taking responsibilty. They never faced consequences for their failed authoritarian state and as their country wasn't destroyed \-just totally bankrupt\- they could blame the democratic West for every necessary change happening now. While hallucinating about being occupied and getting their beloved GDR destroyed by the West. (Bonus points for the fact that post-war Germans were mostly stuck in Germany, while post-GDR Germans could easily leave for the West... so massive brain-drain.)
Completely false. Right wing mindset survived especially in West Germany, that why there was student riots in 1986 (look it up). And thats the reason all of todays right wing leaders are from west germany (look it up!).
@@scharduldeshpande 😂😂😂 oh ok, then please go on and talk nonsense. Don't you think it can be dangerous to spread lies just because you feel the right to do so? And then you play the victim and act like someone is opressing you? If you talk bs you have to accept that people will call you out. This has nothing to do with censorship. How about you better educate about the people you are trashtalking about? I'm pretty sure you would feel ashamed if you had to say this to someones face.
We can shade it all we want, but the reminisce of isolation and trauma are to emerge in some way or another. The factor of time and age could make the region less attractive for migration. The division of votes by geopolitics has been an obstacle emerging in many democratic nations. There has to be a way to increase tourism, security, and even visas like Japan to migrate to find partners. They don't necessarily have to gain a right to vote right the way but eventually as they show they belong more to the region. This issue of isolated geopolitical regions that had to heal from trauma and violence do manifest more and more these days as the world is turning into a healing state, as long as toxic pride and egocentric feelings turn into violence. The leadership should have a plentiful discussion with both regions and find what kind of representation could both agree with as the purpose of democracy is to better the people as a whole along with the rule of law.
ohh yeah because one of the core plans is to leave the EU which turned out so great for the UK .... NOT they arent smart just populist and manipulators
@@nenasiek I dont understand the question, the far left isnt mentioned anywhere here, but there is definetly a difference between left and far left, of course, and not every left wing party is far left, to call them that would be doing exactly what i am criticizing here.
eastern germany never got out of its shell of being russias lapdog. russia provided for them, may it only be the most minimalistic as possible (tens of years of waiting time to get a plastic car for example), but they provided em with existential things which made eastern germans submissively dependent on em. when the wall fell eastern germans suddenly had to take their lives into their own hands and take responsibility, be it in keeping themselves alive or keeping economy in their own lands going. in btoh eastern germans struggle. west german industry took advantage of it, bought the eastern germans industry and salvaged it. the eatern germans couldnt adapt to it, didnt build new industry, barely even have startup companies today and are now screaming that the state has left em alone. it's a bit like giving a slave his freedom back, but the slave forgot how to live on his own and in freedom where you can choose but you also have take responsibility.
Couldn’t help notice that when you have right wing leaders on screen that you have very scary music in the background, but when you have liberal and left-wing leaders or individuals, the music appears to be very pleasant.
Pretty sure it’s not by design.
I mean, you’re just reporting the news in an unbiased manner, right?
Manipulation of media is so obvious, yet also very subtle. Instead of giving objective report from both sides, as a true journalism suppose to do, all official journalism in reality always stands on one side or another. It is so difficult because it demands public to be intelligent to discern the influence of these subtle differences. Unfortunately, majority of the public is not that intelligent, and that is why media in every society is a best maniplation tool on the public. The most unfortunate thing is the western media is often waving a flag of their "freedom of speech" and making the western countries' people mostly firmly believe that they are not brainwashed, but in effect they do, severely. On the other hand in countries like China, everyone knows you can not trust media from just one side, so they are more critical recievers of the media coverage, and thus become more open-minded. I speak from my heart because I have lived in both side for equal amount of my life time so far, and I feel the pain to obseve this dscrepency. In a world with so much conflict, a mutal understanding is so so crucial to regain peace, stability and reduce human suffering, the media manipulation is really a crime to humanity!!!
Ethnic Germans come first in Germany. Germany belongs to the founding, indigenous, ethnic Germans; it's their home country for their people and they come first and foremost in it, that is basic common sense. That is not negotiable. 🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪
Here’s a great answer to why the AFD is so successful in East Germany: Because they’ve been there and done that with socialism/communism, and they understand how crappy it is!
Today's capitalism isn't much better tbh.
@@angriboigo live a year in Venezuela and let me know if you feel the same way
@@angriboi capitalism is the reason humanity has come this far, quit embarrasing yourself and grow a brain
@@gabew7480Venezuela is the way it is because of US intervention, so that point is moot.
Kind of a dumb question
What makes East Germany different?
Try decades of Russian occupation
They want rapprochement to Russia. Meaning they are not too exited about the Western "values" anymore.
The type off people who live there was part of it
Russian occupation ends long ago. But US?
@@user-ho7me9dd5y If Germany wants the U.S. gone all they have to do is say so
The U.S. has bases all over the world, but only in countries that invite us to stay
That 1930s party was popular in the same region.
Isnt it ironic that all the former soviet countries are all super right wing lol
"Stay behind"
@@zeitgeist5134 In Eastern Germany, there is not much Orthodox Christianity. The Communists could not change that. But there are lots of non-religious people.
They know better.
ahh France the ex soviet country ... or the US ...
Not really. Living under the Soviets probably led them to having a right wing backlash. Look at Poland and Hungary.
I mean, people living under communism tends to be its most fervent opponents once they get out of it. this is true for almost every red balkan states. this isnt necessarily a unique thing. most of east europe is fervently right wing compared to central or western europe.
Before AFD, the Linke was strong in the east.
@@daemontargaryen5614 now uhhh the new left party is on the rise in the East, probably would be second in East after the Linke lost more political power
@@daemontargaryen5614 Yes, but people's opinions change... and so do immigrant statistics, ideologies and economies
Fair enough, but why view Russia so favourably then? That's the thing i don't understand about AfD. Why are they so anti-us and why do they love Russia so much? The US never occupied east Germany. It seems like some residual brainwashing or something.
To me it's actually very concerning that Germany does not like the idea of Germans first. That does not mean you have to hate immigrants or hinder their ability to move in but how on earth could a country not be for its own citizens first. Germany must get over this PTSD from world war II. You guys are okay to be proud of your country wave a German flag and say yes Germany first. How on earth has that been demonized
Spot on.
because X first always implies that its on the suffering of others.
also everyone in germany is by def german so what your point anyways.
@@thelvadam2884ok so I move to Japan today, and tomorrow I am Japanese. Great logic. Your comment was irrelevant in relation to the OP’s btw.
@@djglammetal9666 Germany is a Nation. Therefore anyone with a German* passport. is a German. Although he may not be of Germanic Ethnicity. Likewise, a German in France would be considered French if he has a French passport. Having a passport of an x* country means having loyalty towards the x* country.
@@slavman1945Some people believe countries are more than exclusive economic zones. My culture and blood are self-evident, they are Serbian, they cannot be made German or British by an indifferently given passport, and this culture and blood shared among the people is what differentiates the country of Serbia from any other.
Instead of asking AfD supporters, they only ask anti-AfD political and NGO figures. I'm not a right winger, but this very biased. This DW reportage is aimed at English speakers. They failed to inform.
Hello, Ivan.
@@ecoandrei328Ivan is somone who doesn't follow the media blindly?
@@Eureka2003 Indeed, his only media is Putler.
@@ecoandrei328 good goy
Nationalism often arises among people who feel marginalized or inferior to other compatriots in their own country. This applies to the US, Germany, Poland, and many other nations.
Nationalism grows where people see others criticize them but they are stopped from criticizing others
Blaming socialism for afd. Good one.
It is the reason though....you need a history lesson
@@Renner3325Aaron Probably sociology is a better approach here.
@@Renner3325Aaron more like communism+socialism effects on the East
People in Eastern Europe who survived communism do not want it to return.
People in Western Europe don't know what their governments want to do
The left blames national socialism.
DW, what is "far right"?
To the right of the right, and opposite of the far left.
Nationalists and anti-immigrants.
@@Carewolfwhat is right and how can you increase right
Nationalists, ultra nationalists, that's pretty much it. Conservatism is not far right tho, just right.
If there is nothing further to the right, then you know it is far-right.
The difference between East and West Germany goes back hundreds if not thousands of years. It starts with the roman conquest of the territories west of the river Rhine
This is the most idiotic take on the rise of the AFD
The West still has strong support for the AfD.
Germany lost her soul. What does AFD stand for? Alternative for Germany. Why are they labeled far right? All parties around the world will have some extremist elements. DW perhaps needs to list their platform. You may find it isn't that different from CDU platform.
There is a difference between having some extremist elements in a party, and having them at the top of the party dictating the political agenda though ...
Dont forget the history
Extremism is what we should fear, right or left.
Far right = every opinion I don't like
Eh no… Far Right because they openly espouse opinions and plans that are Far Righ (xenophobia, ethno-nationalism, conservative values…)
Far right = The ones who want to save native culture of the country.
This group is legitimately far right, mate. Even Le Pen's right wing party in France considered them too extreme and broke off their alliance 😂
@@MrPwrt bruh the german CDU took a harsher stance on immigration in their 2006 Programm than the AfD today.
@@MrPwrt Le pen doesn't have a back bone and is simply politicking
An interesting fact not mentioned is that the AfD is starting to make inroads in many states in 'West Germany' as well. I would disagree largely that people do not want to take responsibility for themselves (there are exceptions, for sure). One should also remember that the former "East German" states were Protestant and largely agrarian. They have a long history and tradition of rebelling against what they don't believe in, communism was only one aspect in many. Many of Germanies greatest thinkers, writers, and philosophers came from the ex East German states.
Not entirely true, many large cities against AfD and you see how the vote there. I never see afd big in Hamburg.
Absolutely spot on!!! One man in the video said 'we were always told what to do, now it is happening again' (paraphrasing). It is the feeling that one's voice isn't heard in the mainstream and that's way both AfD and BSW, and formerly Die Linke gained popularity. East Germans had the 'peaceful revolution', where they had a sense of agency to overthrow a dictatorship. Voters are not necessarily sharing right or left wing ideology, but are fed up of the, perceived and actual, incompetence of the current coalition. But, as you stated, the West is not far behind in the popularity of the AfD, so this is more than a protest vote.
@@liqiz1755 But the cities are slowly turning. You have now 12% AfD and 26% CDU in Berlin. everywhere it gets more conservative. In Hamburg AfD is at 8.5% now. And if politics don't change it well get worse.
@@gimalu743 8,5 is not much. Wtf. It’s one of the least.
@@gimalu743 cdu is ok for most people. CDU is Centre right.
So I'll do respect to Germany but given that Eastern Germany is 90% actual German wouldn't it be fair to say that Germans are feeling this way? Because only 58% of West Germany is actual German born people. So it sounds like you're seeing a cultural shift where the people who were originally from an area are getting tired of those who've moved in. I personally think as with any country the people whose country have previously was aka actual Germans should get to decide what happens in the country. Same thing with the Americas and how Europeans moved in and essentially outnumbered and kicked out the native Americans I think Germans are worried of something like this happening to them
What a dumb logic.
Sunshine, it’s not dumb logic. Demographics decide if your people survive or die. The native Germans need more children and less immigration or their nation will never be the same
They say white old men from Est Germany are reluctant to embrace the leftist ideology, however they didn`t try to explain why this is.
Here are a few reasons:
1. They lived in comunism (leftists wet dream)
2. They had to provide for their families and saw the hardship of unemployment after reunification, this is why they value job security and stability
3. They lived enough to know that war is not a solution no matter what (lots of people treat war as a football match)
4. They genuinely want the younger generation to have stability and a family of their own (this will reduce the current pressure on public services)
Now think about what the leftist are saying with “there is no more stability/predictability in current times” and why they are pushing for this.
Stating that communism is a "leftists wet dream" generally is no more accurate than saying Nazism is a Thatcherite/Reaganist's wet dream
You definitely don't live in Germany. All these points are not even left wrong talking points. Left wing in Germany is totally different.
@@bratwurstmitbiryani 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
And they are wrong about that. Several elections now have shown that the german youth is voting conservative or right. And they can't explain that, so they go on talking about §old white men" as if it is a bad thing to be old.
@@bratwurstmitbiryaniIch bin Deutscher und kann bestätigen, dass der obere Kommentar Recht hat
As a German I confirm that @nan6239 is right
In Europe, there's a growing sense of neglect towards the younger generation. They face lower salaries, longer work hours, and increased responsibilities while witnessing a surge in billionaires, particularly in countries like Germany.
The housing market adds to their woes, as property prices soar, making it difficult to afford homes, let alone start families. To compensate, cheap labor from abroad is often favored, leading to frustration among the youth, who feel betrayed.
People aren't inherently racist, but this frustration arises when governments prioritize external labor over addressing domestic issues. It's high time politicians acknowledge and tackle these pressing concerns rather than resorting to distractions. The younger generation deserves meaningful change.
Aren't the preferences of 1/6 of the nation or 1/3 of a federal state, by definition, not extreme but one branch of major public opinion?
If the use of the label is meant about the content of the ideas, regardless of the merits, then the use of the term extreme is pejorative and a political argument, not anything of objective value.
PROTECT EUROPE AND EUROPEAN VALUES
Poland is doing very very well, in fact it is expected to overtake UK in 5 years. So, what did these guys do?
source?
@@jokbok995 just check every EU economic statistics. You will find, that he is actually right.
Apparently, Poland is forward looking. It probably feels less anger, victimhood and nostalgy about a romanticized past.
while poland is progressing forward, the shadow of its past of being part of russias slave is still lingering in form of the PIZS party that plays a similar style as the AFD. and polan is still kinda split. lets hope tusk can turn things around and unite poland again.
I mean... much of the most productive parts of Poland are, in fact, eastern Germany. The Soviets also pillaged the remaining industrial infrastructure in East Germany after the Americans refused to give them what they wanted from the Ruhr.
"West german" DW tells east german why they are like they are?
One mistake about the German reunification can still be corrected is that west German public media took over, and it's still a problem. RBB don't even know the street names of former East Berlin correctly, and so on. The only fully eastern German regional public radio and TV channel MDR is also the one that has the highest rating among all the regional channels.
It would be super easy to let MDR form an additional national German public media channel, letting eastern German culture be part of all of Germany and not a regional exception. Also why not formalize ARD as having rightist views, ZDF as having neutral views, and as a country wide MDR having leftist views?
Also: AfD is just CDU on steroids, without religion.
I totally agree about the media situation. I was wondering as well why they are not just get information from MDR but instead never get tired of asking "What is going on?". They don't want to understand.
@@gimalu743 They are probably afraid of leaving the former West Germany (headquarters in Bonn) or the former West Berlin (most TV production).
Seems like at least they aren't at the same location that the former western SFB used to be at in West Berlin, but still...
East Germany has experienced the communist authoritarian rule. While west Germany enjoyed western capitalism.
The authoratian left leaning tendencies of ruling coalition are recognized by east germans. They are not easy to fool like west germans.
West Germany enjoyed the Marshall Plan, which the current US government would regard as communism. Also, it's easy to get a false sense of wealth when you never really took responsibility for any sort of serious defense plan... the plan was "the Americans will be forced to take care of it, for now we can buy votes by sustaining the Marshall programs!"
You got that the wrong way 'round.
@@IgorRockt cope?
Look at Poland. Poland borders Russia and experienced even more terrible things than Germany. Poland has never been naive when it comes to Russia.
considering that East Germany was so heavily occupied by Soviets and 1953? why is it so pro-Putin AFD compered with other Eastern countries like Poland?
Because Putin arose in a state that overthrow the Soviet union from within
swede here this is what i dont understand aswell! how can AFD be pro putin but lived under dictatorship for only 30 year ago. anti massimigraton i get!!
@@AXXeYY maybe because people tend to glorify the past?
@@AXXeYY Spot on comment,that's what i don't understand but get the 2nd part of you're comment.
Why is it that public opinion in Germany, whose eastern states were occupied by the Soviets, is so different from that in the Eastern European countries? In Poland, the memory of the double occupation by Germany and Russia during World War II is omnipresent; in Hungary, the violent suppression of the 1956 uprising by Russian troops is deeply rooted in the collective consciousness, the same in then-Czechoslovakia, invaded by Warsaw Pact troops in 1968. The Germans were spared similar traumatic experiences in the GDR. The uprising of June 17, 1953, which was brutally suppressed by the Soviet occupying forces and the police forces of the Socialist Unity Party regime, was less consequential in comparison.
More of the indigenous society resides there by percentage.
Funny enough, many of them are not even ethnically Germanic but are Polabian Slavs Germanised in late medieval period and beyond. So, indigenous works only if you consider it in the non-nationalist sense.
@@zeitgeist5134 ah, you're thinking of the kosher term
Where would DW be without their daily dose of Far-Right conspiracy nonsense???
Regrettably, it isn't a conspiracy. That's the bread and butter of the right.
Hi Ivan.
@@DeepJieselyou do know Ukraine is going to disappear at a state when all this is over?
@@jtothed8575What?!
@@yanivandesompele3413Never seen a magician make a country disappear before?
I think that we are seeing at the wrong precedent here. Its not the GDR what made people vote AfD, if anything that is what made people vote Die Linke or BSW, rather it is political legacy of Prussia. Most of what today is East Germany was once Prussia where authoritarianism was a core cultural element. I urge people to check electoral maps of the Weimar Republic and they'll see that during that time most of East Germany voted massively to the DNVP, a precedent of the AfD
"authoritarianism was a core cultural element"
Big words for a people of serfs and slaves
That´s the biggest nonsense I´ve ever heard
@@JeffBilkins He isn't Russian
Lolll!! So Prussia were the alphas, while the rest of Germany was sniveling liberals? Got it..
Saxony and Thuringia weren't Prussia
I support Germans putting Germans first, which is, by the way, what the countries of people migrating to Germany do in their own land. Greetings from São Paulo.
Classic "far left" defamation
Perhaps German media forgot Marxism, Socialism, Communism is invented by their Philosopher 🎹
Karl Marx is from German 😂😂
It was a matter of time. Having spent so many decades under authoritarian rule, the liberties and liabilities of an open society have frustrated those who didn't leave Eastern Germany.
tell me that you don't have a clue about east germany without telling me.. If you don't know better, how about getting information or stop spreading bs.
@@gimalu743 tell me why Jörg Meuthen quit
@@daviddelgado6090 what does this has to do with east germany. You literally comparing millions of people to one Party. You don't want to understand. You are comfortable in your bubble. Congrats.
@@gimalu743 almost 5 million in 2021. We can check this again next year
I just spent a month travelling Germany and I think it’s far, far simpler than this.
Immigration saturation. No country likes to feel they are losing their cultural/racial identity. None.
Right or wrong - it’s that simple.
Ww2 is over.younger Germans feel Germany first
Hahaha.
Trying to explain things using the wrong arguments.
It is rather simple, the politicians are not listening to the voice of the people because the politicians are too busy satisfying their own greed.
Politicians from the west, not all, are usually detached from the realities of suffering of the vulnerable.
Wow! I didn't realize Germany's immigration problem was so bad.
@@zeitgeist5134: The fewer immigrants an area has, the more frightened they are of taking in immigrants. Because it is fear of the unknown.
@@timonsolusIt's not really unknown if we know the results...
@@timonsolus The more immigrants an area has, the more frightened they are of taking in immigrants. Because it is fear of the well-known.
@@Eureka2003 he is correct tho
i live in berlin and see immigrates all day, they are very chill and nice people.
sure you have also bad people but that you also have with non immigrants...
if you actually bother to connect with this people u will find out they are also just people, nothing to fear.
It's really bad. Asylum seekers get more money from government (from free house, food, clothing, and special German language school.)
Counterpoint, why is wokeness so strong in West Germany?
They have the advantage of being sensitive towards manipulation and erosion of democracy, esp. kleptocratic and lobbyistic agendas in the name of lofty goals w/o pragmatic politics and representation of sovereigns.
You can likely replace “white” with native.
Maybe because of what happened in munich 1972, Cologne 2015, Hamburg and now Mannheim
Last time i was in a German city i could count on one hand how many Germans i saw. I saw mainly Turks and middle eastern people. You really see that natives are 2nd rank citizen now. As a Dutchy we have lost our yearly tradition, Dutch hero names as streets and the demolision of their statues, some are replaced with African art.....
But why would the facists keep you around?
Fear mongering, "native" germanics are outnumbering anyone else at least 3 to 1. Look it up, germany has 24.9 million people with migration in their background (they or at least one parent has imigrated). And that out of a total population of over 80 million.
that you even claim to know who is german and who isn't tells all we need to know about you.
@@thelvadam2884 being german is ethinc based
@@joespowerlifting1631 if you go like that vienna is also a german city.
And Southtirol.
by the def Deutsch you are Deutsch if you speak german and with that life the culture. which ofc is never static and might intermix but that is how the world works, people mix and so does culture and language
So every citizen is german by def.
to add a personal note, all germans with migration background i ever met where just as kind and nice as every other that lifes here, and often also nicer and more world open.
So strange, I thought the people of the former DDR were glad to finally be free. Now they are longing back to a life like the movie “Das leben der anderen”.
The problem is that Russia replaces the local population of any place that they conquer with ethnic Russians
Most of the Germans who didn't like life under communism fled west at the first chance
Do you think European union, leftist, globalists and socialist are way to freedom?
@@Ivane_MaskhuliaWell, I’m glad to live in a western democracy.
One of the big problems is the one mentioned in the video: people in the East were not educated in how to navigate in a free society, and some of them never understood that freedom always comes with liabilities, as well as responsibility for yourself. The GDR basically "took them by the hand" from kindergarten times and told them what to do. Thinking for yourself, making important decisions (and living with the results of those decisions) is a constant struggle, and some people don't like to have that struggle - they prefer to do what they are told by others, so they can then complain about the results of those decisions, which - and this is the important part - were made by others for them...
@@IgorRocktI think you’re right on that, makes sense.
🇮🇳International student in Germany .. I feel bad for Germans things are getting worsen ..specially illegal immigrants , no jobs for German & talented students, no IT hub
Remember Sara W has a Iranian father.....
So what does this mean?
Congratulations Germany!
Zumindest in Thüringen war Ramelow ein unglaublich effektiver Ministerpräsident, und auch wenn seine Partei voraussichtlich eine Niederlage einstecken wird, denke ich, dass er eine weitere Amtszeit verdient, wenn sich alle Parteien gegen die AfD vereinen ...
I can say we have many problems in Germany and nothing has to do with AfD i'm born in south korean and live here over 40 years, my support has AfD greetings from Germany Baden-Württemberg 🇩🇪💙
Lived under Soviet rule
The question alone tells me that you don't understand anything or don't want to understand anything.
What is there to understand?
I think you meant DDR in the thumbnail.
14 minutes of expressing dislike of AFD without including AFD 🤨
But well done featuring a left wing network group with 30 members 🤣🤣🤣
the euphemism of homogenous vs non-white heterogenous.
This video never explicitly states that AfD is a problem but the gist is that it is. Has DW ever made a program about why Bavaria votes CSU and how one can explain this phenomenon, based on sociological studies pointing to weaknesses of the population? Or the question of why Hamburg keeps voting to the left? This program seems to stigmatize both the AfD and East Germany.
Mainstream media at its finest!
Another misapprehension many have is that the political spectrum is like a ruler, it's not, it's more like a horseshoe, and the step from one extreme to the other, is but a small step.
The horseshoe theory has been largely discounted. Only the politically naive will be willy-nilly drawn to either extreme. Unfortunately, political naivety is increasingly common these days. Ideology is a lesser concern for them.
I mean you drove people into poverty and denied them communism as an alternative. They turned to the alternative you weren't suppressing.
Sachsens...
Tell them they are being rude, and they go Very Far out of their way to prove you right
Deutchland wake up !! If you disagree US politics that does not make you extremist !!!. ... Greetimgs from LatinAmerican people.
The GDR regime never denazified their country in any meaningful way.
Yeah, this comment shows you have spent little to no time with Ossis...
absolutely
The man shown in the video is from WEST Germany. So what do you say now about denazification??
Interesting video, thanks. My take, and I’m not German, is that a liberal government is pushing their way to a more conservative section of society. When there is resistance, they look for labels such as far right. Liberals tend to struggle why others don’t see things their way. This situation is occurring all over Europe where conservative communities are starting to resist things like mass migration. Hopefully the solution is debate and compromise as we know from history these things can escalate.
I see your point, but east germany really is far from conservative. They are mostly atheist and liberal, voting everything from left to right. you don't need to be conservative to be against mass migration. This costs a huge amount of taxpayers money that is needed for other things. And crime has gone up. How should people be glad about that?
Fear and anger are being weaponized using the internet and repetition.
This.
wow harris is donw like 10 to 20 points in every state now all.
Because absent a socialist structure the nihilist machinations of capitalism augment the individual towards mysticism rather than towards its enemy. The ruling class.
You are blaming capitalism for the fact that Germans, who used to be ruled by communism are much more receptive towards fascism
@@christianweibrecht6555 no, rather, that having a sense of the world and people around you that’s grounded in real understanding of how you and their problems are similar and how similar you are as people will always move people away from nihilism and Fascism. Communist ideology is the natural result of communalist practice, though.
@@ChristoffelTensorsstupidity is when you think socialism ever works
@@anubhabmaiti9658 good point
I live in Ilmenau, people here are really nice and welcoming
Yeah we are having state welfare here, and pretty motivated to give it back to this piece of land
Follow the Russian Ruble.
9:13 and just when i expected them to finally say mass migration they further indulge in this propagandist BS
Uncertainty is the basic requirement for capitalist democracy which takes advantage uncertainty to profit.
Great video well explained
Beauty of democracy is that you choose your party and the consequences of it. Let people make their choices and let destiny drive the future.
What baffles me is how they think the solution for their perceived injustice is voting for a nationalistic/libertarian party.
No one compare AFD with Trump???? 😅😅😅
“The only thing that we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history.”
Georg Hegel
Sönke Neitzel says History never really repeats itself.
@@Greedo1977it doesn’t repeat itself but it does rhyme. And this AFD movement is giving WWI/WWII uprising of fascism shrouded in a sheep’s clothing. This is a slippery slope…
@@Americaisgone Definitely! And its Dangerous!
But i cant hear "History repeats itself" anymore.
And i Dont know about German facism in WW1.
Mussolini founded it i thought
DW is simply one if the best news sources out there...!!! ❤❤
Becausr they want change and it looks like this party is offering it.
Next question and I saved you guys 14 minutes
I was in Berlin in 1993 after the Wall came down and a cabbie told me a joke going around went "Bring the Wall back only this time ten meters higher." Going sharply from Nazism to Communism has obviously left its mark. My cousin in Cologne once said, The East will always be The East.
There will always be regional difference. It is called diversity. Doesn't the DW and the EU worship diversity?
What makes you different from other Germans? Mostly KGB.
Ignored left behind.. and now they feel like someone is finally listening to them... Do you really not understand the simplicity of populism?
When you want people to do what you want, you tell them what they want to hear.
I am libetarian. I am not far right!
I am his 3rd great grandson sorry for the confusion
Stop lying on the adf if you believe in democracy let the people vote
Still keep whitewashing Fascists paid by putin?
By Free & Open Soxiety they mean No Discussion on Izlam and its Profit
💙
Unbelievable 😢
Well, unfortunately AFD is growing everywhere in Germany. Some don’t vote AFD but behave like an AFD voter. The main reason is the cost of living crisis. For example, Rents for an average apartment in an average city for an average family are exceeding the average salary of one person. And to be honest there is no solution. Germany is very old (median age of around 50 including the immigrants). I think we have to try and optimise our consumption to what we are producing and face the facts rather only focusing on GDP.
Russian influence
Trump is on his way. Privileged will listen then. Hopefully you also get to watch the wave as it washes out hate against us.
bull
Of course. Blame it on Россия
Common sense
Poland borders Russia and has never been that naive when it comes to Putin.
Answer: RUSSIA
This right leaning is thanks to the barbarians that came from Africa and the middle east. Not Putler
The condescension of these reporters and college professor is so thick it's like a brick LOL😅. They're worse than the American press! "Aw these poor people are entitled to their unenlightened and primitive views".😂😅😂 Like for real, they think viewers don't notice this stuff???
I though that it was mass immigration, not that the state is responsible for everything.
It’s a combination of different factors that contribute to rise in far right/left parties
@@zeitgeist5134yeah honestly, i doubt some Moroccans will choose Dresden (who having Pegida and less Immigrants) or Erfurt or Magdeburg over Frankfurt (who Moroccans have large Moroccan Community and have many people from different background)
@@zeitgeist5134And East Germany has bad economy too, not so friendly with outsiders.
So, why was the BDR able to turn it's citizens into participatory democrats in the, say, 40 year post-war period, I.e. by 1985, and the same democratization process has not occurred in the former DDR between 1989 and 2019 and beyond? How did the new GER fail to develop this in eastern Germany?...
West Germans after WW2 lived in a destroyed and occupied country and had to rebuild from scratch. So they had to face the harsh consequences of a failed authoritarian state and embraced democracy.
East Germans after the collaps of the GDR instead got saved by West Germany spending a fortune. So they could sit at home still relatively well off without ever taking responsibilty. They never faced consequences for their failed authoritarian state and as their country wasn't destroyed \-just totally bankrupt\- they could blame the democratic West for every necessary change happening now. While hallucinating about being occupied and getting their beloved GDR destroyed by the West.
(Bonus points for the fact that post-war Germans were mostly stuck in Germany, while post-GDR Germans could easily leave for the West... so massive brain-drain.)
Completely false. Right wing mindset survived especially in West Germany, that why there was student riots in 1986 (look it up). And thats the reason all of todays right wing leaders are from west germany (look it up!).
It’s called Stockholm syndrome
and how come you speak about people you don't know?
@@gimalu743 because I still have the right to say whatever I feel. At least for now! And I hope it stays like this.
@@scharduldeshpande 😂😂😂 oh ok, then please go on and talk nonsense. Don't you think it can be dangerous to spread lies just because you feel the right to do so? And then you play the victim and act like someone is opressing you? If you talk bs you have to accept that people will call you out. This has nothing to do with censorship. How about you better educate about the people you are trashtalking about? I'm pretty sure you would feel ashamed if you had to say this to someones face.
@@gimalu743 what lie did I spread? Please explain
Lesbian leader is a far right😂😂😂
We can shade it all we want, but the reminisce of isolation and trauma are to emerge in some way or another. The factor of time and age could make the region less attractive for migration. The division of votes by geopolitics has been an obstacle emerging in many democratic nations. There has to be a way to increase tourism, security, and even visas like Japan to migrate to find partners. They don't necessarily have to gain a right to vote right the way but eventually as they show they belong more to the region. This issue of isolated geopolitical regions that had to heal from trauma and violence do manifest more and more these days as the world is turning into a healing state, as long as toxic pride and egocentric feelings turn into violence. The leadership should have a plentiful discussion with both regions and find what kind of representation could both agree with as the purpose of democracy is to better the people as a whole along with the rule of law.
Simple answer: They think.
ohh yeah because one of the core plans is to leave the EU which turned out so great for the UK .... NOT they arent smart just populist and manipulators
Follow the money......to Russia
@@FishandHunt proof?
@@joespowerlifting1631
Everyone in the intelligence community knows it buddy. My job is not to provide you will 'proof' of my opinion.
@@FishandHunt it's simply unproven unless a court finds them guilty it's just speculation
@@joespowerlifting1631
Russia's fascist tentacles spread throughout Europe, including Germany.
@@joespowerlifting1631
Russia's fascist tentacles spread throughout Europe, including Germany.
Why? Have you not observed Germany for the past 150 years? 😂
With votes
Third reich incel convention in the comments
How ? 🎉
Actually this comment section is riddled with tankie cope
You guys havent seen far right if you call the afd far right. But I guess it doesnt matter since youre just trying to manipulate opinion eh
Do u say the same about the far left?
@@nenasiek I dont understand the question, the far left isnt mentioned anywhere here, but there is definetly a difference between left and far left, of course, and not every left wing party is far left, to call them that would be doing exactly what i am criticizing here.
eastern germany never got out of its shell of being russias lapdog. russia provided for them, may it only be the most minimalistic as possible (tens of years of waiting time to get a plastic car for example), but they provided em with existential things which made eastern germans submissively dependent on em. when the wall fell eastern germans suddenly had to take their lives into their own hands and take responsibility, be it in keeping themselves alive or keeping economy in their own lands going. in btoh eastern germans struggle. west german industry took advantage of it, bought the eastern germans industry and salvaged it. the eatern germans couldnt adapt to it, didnt build new industry, barely even have startup companies today and are now screaming that the state has left em alone.
it's a bit like giving a slave his freedom back, but the slave forgot how to live on his own and in freedom where you can choose but you also have take responsibility.
Look at Poland. Poland has never been naive when it comes to Russia and Poles have always been fighting to be free from Russia's influence.